The primary objective of the KUMC Nephrology Fellowship Program is to recruit and train postdoctoral fellows who demonstrate potential for developing into independent investigators in the field of Nephrology. The training program is designed to prepare physicians or medical scientists for research careers as either clinical investigators with the skills necessary to perform outcomes-based studies and/or clinical trials, or basic scientists who will translate advances in molecular biology to clinical practice. To accomplish this, the training program provides a structured environment for postdoctoral fellows to learn normal physiology and pathophysiology of the kidney and to participate in individualized mentored research programs led by NIH-funded investigators to study the pathogenesis, treatment and health outcomes of kidney diseases and related metabolic disorders. A major strength of our program is the Kidney Institute, a multidisciplinary center dedicated to the field of kidney research. A program in renal research and patient care at the Kidney Institute at KUMC creates an environment that fosters cross-training of biomedical researchers and translational research programs. During the two to three training years devoted to investigative nephrology, trainees can choose between the Clinical Research Training Program or the Basic Research Training Program. Current areas of opportunity include mouse genetic models of human diseases, transcriptional control mechanisms, hereditary kidney diseases, hormonal and mineral metabolism abnormalities in chronic kidney disease, signal transduction, transport physiology, renal development and podocyte biology. Training is aimed at promoting understanding, design, and use of biochemical, physiological and molecular biological approaches to kidney disorders and metabolic complications;and proficiency in laboratory and clinical investigation techniques. Individuals who complete the program will be capable of independent investigation and translating research accomplishments into important advances with clinical relevance.